Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA) PIF Report

The Joint Initiative for Strategic Religious Action (JISRA), funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and implemented by a consortium of faith-based and civil society organizations, aims to promote Freedom of Religion and Belief (FORB), social cohesion, and peace across 13 counties in Kenya. This report evaluates the impact of JISRA interventions using the Peace Impact Framework (PIF) aligned measures, focusing on five counties: Garissa, Lamu, Kilifi, Mombasa, and Kwale.

Key Findings:

• FINDING #1: Community safety perceptions are high across demographics, with Lamu and Mombasa as key regional contrasts
• Finding #2: Perceived high community safety does not always translate into freedom of religion, as when respondents were asked how common violations or concerns related to FORB were in their communities over the past year, 38.63% of the respondents recorded positive assertions (very high+ high).
• FINDING #3: Respondents report a significant level of confidence in their ability to contribute positively in the community, but with a gap in Bura East.
• FINDING #4: From belief to action, a gap exists between the high level of confidence in making a positive difference and the actual engagement in actions to influence change.
• FINDING #5: FINDING #4: Peace investment is uneven, with men, adults, and Lamu leading; Bura East engages differently
• FINDING #6: While over half of respondents feel dehumanized, only a quarter can attribute it to specific social factors, indicating complex, often unspoken experiences.
• FINDING #7: Nearly 1 in 4 respondents (23.42%) believe that violence is a justifiable means to advance group interests, particularly in political and power-related contexts
• FINDING #8: Perceptions of trust and inclusiveness across key actors remain mixed, with notable gaps among youth and in specific regions

Conclusions
The JISRA project has made positive contributions by enhancing community safety, strengthening individual agency, and promoting inclusive peacebuilding. While notable progress has been made in building personal confidence, the next phase should focus on translating this agency into concrete action—particularly by addressing regional and demographic disparities that may hinder equitable participation.
The normalization of violence—especially in politically charged and power-related contexts, and in historically marginalized regions such as Mombasa and Lamu—poses a threat to community cohesion. When coupled with gaps between belief and action, and elevated perceptions of dehumanization, these dynamics risk reinforcing cycles of violence. This underscores the urgent need for coordinated, preventive interventions that rebuild trust, address root causes, and promote long-term, community-led peace.